On Friday 7 February 2020 the Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), responsible for commissioning services at the Pinn Medical Centre (PMC), issued the following statement:
“ We have been discussing the future of the walk in services at the Pinn Medical Centre with patients over the last few months. Having considered the feedback we have received, we can confirm that we will be working with the Pinn Medical Centre to maintain the provision of walk in services for all patients at the site”.
The Patients’ Association and the Partners of the PMC sought an urgent meeting with the CCG, and that meeting was held on Monday 10 February 2020. At that meeting the CCG confirmed that their recent proposal to convert the Pinn Walk In Centre to a GP Access Centre was now withdrawn. But they would not comment on the way in which the Walk In Centre was to be funded, or whether or not the proposed total funding reduction of £500,000 a year (to take place over a four year period) would remain in force. That remained to be negotiated.
Following that meeting, and in response to a request from the Harrow Times, the Patients’ Association issued the following statement:
“The Trustees of the Pinn Medical Centre Patients’ Association are pleased that the CCG has agreed to maintain the provision of walk in services for all patients.
The CCG has confirmed to us, and to the Partners of the Pinn Medical Centre, that the option of the Pinn Walk in Centre as a GP Access Centre is now off the table.
We await with great interest the outcome of future discussions between the CCG and the Partners on the key issues relating to the future funding of the WIC, which are yet to be negotiated.
We wish to thank all our supporters, particularly David Simmonds, Lord Daniel Finkelstein, Nick Hurd and Gareth Thomas, all whom have worked tirelessly in support of our campaign for keeping this very valuable service open for all patients in Harrow and surrounding boroughs.”
Last Thursday we met the Partners of the PMC and heard that, notwithstanding the welcome news of the CCG’s withdrawal of its proposal to convert the Pinn Walk In Centre to a GP Access Centre, if the funding position was not regularised there remained a risk that the Walk In Centre may have to close. That being so it was agreed that the Chair should make renewed contact with David Simmonds MP and Gareth Thomas MP. We would also ask the Partners to keep us closely in touch with their funding negotiations with the CCG.
Today, Saturday, our Chair Joanne Daswani said
The Trustees remain optimistic that the funding of the WIC will be confirmed shortly and that this valuable service will continue to be available for all patients in the foreseeable future.